Monday, June 28, 2010

Routines. Routines are good. They lend sanity and framework to 3 boys on the loose. In the summer. 3:1.It's Monday, Baby E's post day: He's glad to be back and has lots to tattle ... ummm ... "say" about his time away. He missed you all!!

-------------------------------------------------

First: This is me.My mom says we still have to do work, even if it is summer. That doesn't make any sense because if you don't have to do school, then you shouldn't have to do work, either. That's what I think. My mom says we can't grow up to be lazy or no one will marry us. She says that all the time.

This is me having to sweep the planters. I think that's a dumb job. But she says I have to do it because I said no to the other choices, too. She says you have to pick something and I said but I don't like what you're giving me to choose. And then she says what she always says about stuff, "Well, then, I'll choose for you." So, I said, "okay okay, I'll sweep the planters." But I don't think I should have to do all of them.

Next, I went on vacation.Every day I said how much fun it was. Next week, I want to show you a picture of the deepest deepest hole I made on the beach. I dug until I got to water. It was up to my waist when I stood in it. And there was water in the bottom of the hole that stayed there and didn't sink away into the sand.

This is about what I found in the kitchen.My mom makes me "Lucky Charm" toast. It's toast in the shape of a lucky charm because I like Lucky Charms cereal, too. Anyway, she always make me my toast in that shape and then one day when I look at the dishes I saw a lucky charm cookie cutter and grabbed it and said "so thisis how you do it!" and her face went sad and she said, "no! I wanted you to not know my secret!" and her face really did look sad so I told her I could wipe it off the face of my brain with my hand and not remember it. And she said, "really?" and I told her I really could.

This is about my idea:This one morning I was really tired and when my mom woke me up for my summer classes I said I needed my rusty body oil. And she said, "what?" and I said, "I'm going to first need my warming up oil, then my moving oil. Oil me up, mom, like a rusty robot so I can move."

This is the last story I can say: My mom likes to put toothpaste on my flute!I like to take my electric toothbrush and put it in my mouth sideways and pretend it's a flute by rubbing the hard part against my teeth. It works. And then I'll hear my mom come stomping up the stairs to check on me to make sure I'm ready and she catches me playing with my flutebrush and she'll say, "you're supposed to be getting ready" and then she puts toothpaste on my flute and I say, "you're putting toothpaste on my flute" and she says, "yeah, well, the pied piper called and wants his flute back, so brush your teeth" and when she does stuff like that I don't want to laugh, but then I laugh and then I can't be mad and sometimes I want to stay mad and not laugh. But I always laugh, even when I don't want to.

Next week I'll have my picture of the big hole I made..."oh, wait,mom! Can I do one more story?"

O.K. I got really hurt in my games class last week. A kid's skull went hard into my mouth and I had to go to the dentist. I'm better now.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Hi. I have a lot in my notes for today. I don't know what to say first. That makes me be quiet. My mom says to just look at my notes and stick to that order, but I want to say the other stuff first. Can I, Mom? OK. She says we'll try it for awhile with me just talking....mom...I feel mixed up again.

OK. We'll do the notes. We went to a graduation party for my mom's friend's daughter and this is an exciting story. There are lots of parts to it. The first part is you need to know this part.

I was in our paper! Our paper did a story on me that was almost the whole page and they called me "web phenom." A lady came to the house and asked me questions. I asked my mom if I behaved and she said yes. I asked her for a prize for behaving, and she said no.

At this party, this lady said, "hey...I read about you today." And my body was bursting with proud, and I wanted to say braggity stuff. But I knew I couldn't. I said, "that was me." And that was all. But inside I wanted to and wished I could have done my backwards robot dance and said, "uh huh oh yeah uh huh." But I knew not to. And you can't brag, either.

I found a newspaper thing my mom cut out of the paper and thinks she secretly hid in the cabinets on how to not spoil your kids. I saw it and said, "mom. now your tricks won't work cuz Ifound this!" And I grabbed the paper and showed her. She just laughed. But I'm going to watch her for tricks like not buying me stuff. And like that.

My mom is teaching me cursive. I have learned a lot of tricks. This one is important: if you make your small t sides too apart it will look like an a. The small t sides need to touch.

My mom makes me wear my summer socks and I don't like them. I can't say hate. But I don't like them A LOT. They are small and white and have no tops on them so they look like little baby shoes. I don't like them.

I have more stuff written down but my mom says only one more story. I have 6 more stories. I have to pick one.

Tonight we rentedAstroboyand the dad was mean to the kid in it. I've noticed that in kid's movies lately, there is always a person that crushes that kid's dreams. The kid in the movie's dreams. Like in Toy Story, they say, "you can't play guitar" how do they know that? You have to tell the kid that he can and then he will.

Next week I will tell you about this dog I want. It is so unspeakably cool you couldn't even describe it in words. I want a dog like that. He was at the graduation party.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Books on living room floor, all open, Baby E. skimming and poring through the new picture history books on Latin American history. We'll be studying this over the summer, as well as learning more about how we came to live in this country and about Baby E's heritage. Baby E. is fascinated with the fact that he is Hispanic. [I am first generation American, and my family is from South America.]I think my exact words were, "My blood runs through your veins! My people are your people! My ancestors are within your DNA! Your future comes from your past! It iswho you are and who you will be and I am you and you are me and Viva! Simon Bolivar!....", (pant pant wiping sweat from brow)......words along those lines.

"Hey, Mom, I really like these history books you got us for the summer. They're so neat and cool."

"I'm so glad you like them, Baby E. We're going to learn more about my family, and you, and how you're part of my family from South America. I love history, too."

"Yeah, like, mom, this book here? It's ultracool because there's even a picture in here of me and what I'm going to look like when I grow up..."

Hi. This is Baby E now. Today we're going to go through my list of stuff. My mom says I have to explain what I talk about first.

What my mom does when we're done with school, is the day after we're done, in the morning, she fills a basket for me and my brothers with stuff. Mostly books, like these Uglydoll books.

She gets us the stuff first, and then when we wake up and come downstairs in the morning, the basket is there for all of us with a note about summer. She makes us read the note first. And keep it. It's most of all books for the summer, but she puts in fun stuff for when it's late or cold or raining or boring. We keep the basket in the front room or classroom all summer. We call it the Summer Fun Basket and it makes the first day of vacation fun. I love getting our basket. I wake up super early when I know it's the day of the basket.

We went to the store yesterday with my notebook, and we walked around and wrote down what I hope is in my basket and stuff we liked. She said I could pick out some stuff for me for my basket.

*There's a rule now that we have to say that no one gave us money to buy this stuff or tell you about it. That's true. No one did give us money, and we have to pay for what we buy with my mom's money. No one gave us any stuff.*

First, books. This Ugly doll book comes with 4 of them, a set, but you can buy them like only one. And they're really cool. They're funny and so funny you will laugh. Even my big brothers laugh, and my mom laughs. They really are funny and only 5 dollars, right, mom? And you get to see all the cool Ugly dolls. They're easy to read. The website, but it has to be the official one, is fun.

I'll only do some stuff today because I found 3 pages on my journal of stuff I want. So, I'll only do, like one page, of stuff I want.

Well, and there's these Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, and they're ridiculously funny. They have stick people pictures that are funny. They're easy to read, and the words are funny. This website is funny, too.

Any maze books. All kinds of them.

New swimming goggles that match my new style. No more babyish shark ones.

Gear battery bubble maker with a gigantic bottle of bubble stuff. That is fun all the time.

Velcro ball and mitt set.

Soccer balls.

Basketball that glows in the dark.

Any sprinklers, and lots of them, so you don't get bored. Buy all the fun ones.It's fun to use more than one at a time.

Glow in the dark frisbees.

This big orange bike that I saw that I know I won't get, but I still want it. It was awesome. It's my favorite color. It matches my new style. The reason I want is because the bike I have was my 2 brothers' bikes already.

A new bike helmet that matches me now, I don't want my one with fish on it anymore.

Quirkle board game.

The new colored Connect 4 game.

Digital battery drumsticks that play drums in the air. I really want that. I really want that, hear me, mom?

PixO's making kits.

All the Bendaroos kits.

All the Backyardigan DVD's.

Mario Brothers for Wii.

Nintendo games of Starfy, and Kirby.

SpyGear night goggles.

SpyGear Micro ear gear.

Any Legos set. Especially the Atlantis ones.

Battle Strikers Turbo Tops.

More sidewalk chalks with the stencils that come with them. My mom buys us gardening kneeling pads for our knees for outside.

Any water Slip-n-Slides. My mom calls them Slip-n-Dies.

Any water blaster guns. Especially SuperSoaker. All kinds so your friends can have some when they come over.

Any Nerf guns. Get lots of them so your friends have some when they come over.

A pool.

A snow cone maker with lots of syrups. Get 4 packs and all the flavors.

Model Magic presto-dots. They make cool monsters.

I like card games, like Blink.

A pop-up tent or tipi for outside for when you want to lay outside and play and have shade. And for having lunch, too, or popsicles.

**************************

That's my list. I hope I get some stuff I really want in the basket.

And, also, ...I don't like my mom's summer pajamas. They look like she just had a tonsillectomy. I had one, and my adenoids, too, and they made me wear a dress like that!

Sometimes I like to hang extra long floss to go from between and across my teeth so the strings hang down the sides of my jaw and walk around to my brothers and say "I'm a nutcracker."

Look in the mirror. You really do look just like one, but you have to make your jaw go up and down at the same time.

Bye. Next time I will tell you about the baby socks my mom makes me wear.

I wrote this many years ago, when our now 13 year old naturalist son, Maximus, played his first season of soccer when he was about 4.

I'm happy to tell you that since this was written, our son's poetry has gone on to win Grand Prize in our regional area Nature Poetry Contest.

He's also received many a blue ribbon for placing 1st with his art entries at our local County Fair. Maximus submitted an original design Xmas tree ornament that was accepted as the official Governor's Tree Xmas Tree Ornament at our state capitol. He designed the Xmas Card that was selected as our School District's official Holiday Card.

And the list goes on.....

*I apologize for the seemingly haphazard breaks, but Blogger has been messin' with my mind again. It all looks good in preview, but something happens to the layout after "Publish Post."

Friday, June 4, 2010

It's Friday, and that means Mayor of CrazyTown'sFriday Funny link up. The day where I get to showcase all my favorite vids I've been storing.

This one is the comedian Sally Brook's video series on her dysfunctionalhousewife character, Suzy Jenkins. Suzy Jenkins is a suburban rapper.

Please DO NOT click over if street language offends, because Sally/Suzy is NOT easy on the swears. So, if offended by that kind of thing: DO NOT hit the arrow button. ( Sooooo not kidding on this: F-bombs galore, along with some B-words, S-words...)

For that VERY same reason, DO NOT watch with your children on your lap. Make sure you are: 1. alone 2. have earbuds in 3. have decided you can handle it ....all set? Good. Go put the Depends on for bladder control, and lose it!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Thank you to Amanda @It'sBlogworthy for the inspiration ofthis post. Though her story worked out to be a marriage proposal on bended knee at dawn on the beach, mine? Well, mine had destiny nervous for a few moments....

My not-as-of-yet husband and I had been dating for almost a year, and hadn't yet spoken of marriage. This was fine with me -- he had made no promises nor given any hints regarding a possible future together, so I couldn't claim to be misled or disappointed. He just wanted to date, and he was a polite and affable enough fellow that that would be all right. Reasons this was acceptable: 1.he was employed 2. sober 3. bathed daily 4. practiced good oral hygiene 5. didn't have to purchase two airline tickets for himself when he flew. So, given all that, continued dating with no end in sight would be fine for the time being.

He had called to ask me out for dinner on my birthday, and I knew he'd have something special planned. At the time, he was traveling a lot, and our times together were mostly spent doing nice things at nice places with nice food. Oh, yes, those sweet days.

Anyway, I knew he'd have a very nice dinner date arranged, so I was anticipating a romantic, pleasant evening out. He was coming to pick me up at 6:30 p.m. As I waited for him, I thought of how I was ready to sit, and be wined and dined, flattered, celebrated, and toasted to.

He arrives, 6:50, and his face has such a look of concentrated concern, as if he's lost something. He is also very quiet. I ask if everything is alright, he answers that it is, but doesn't do much else to reassure me. He is twenty minutes late, which is not like him; but not wanting to start things off on the wrong foot, I say nothing. But, it's not a good start. As I sit in the car, I tell myself I must nip this in the bud; he has to call if he's going to be late. Like I said, not a good start to our night.

While he is driving, he's quiet the entire ride to the restaurant. I attempt conversation, but I feel as if I'm in the car with a coyote; all I hear is "yup. yup. yup." in answer to any question I toss his way.

Well, perhaps he has had a rough trip, I think to myself as we drive. I don't know. I'm hungry, I have to go to work the next day, and I've got a really cute red with gold buttons dress on. I just want to go out and eat and have a nice time and enjoy my birthday.

We arrive at the restaurant parking lot, he parks, and then asks me to wait outside of the car for a minute. Very odd request, he usually opens the door ... I'm now at the point of making a mental list entitled "Possible Red Flags...get out while the gettin' is good."

I oblige him, and step out of the car and wait. I see him jostling around in his pockets and you don't want to know what I'm thinking.

He then steps out of the car and begins to walk quickly, with the continual furrowed brow leftover from when he first picked me up. I walk along side him, and attempt to take his arm, which makes him jump twenty feet in the air. Okay ... the mental list is now growing by leaps and bounds, and we are at bullet point #3.

I let his arm go and walk with him instead. We enter the restaurant, and his tone is quick and hushed with the hostess, and he asks me AGAIN to wait a bit of a ways away. What in the world is going on? I'm starting to make my Eddie Murphy faces now. He and the hostess whisper back and forth, we're shown to a table, and we sit. He keeps his hands in his pocket, I attempt to reach for his hand and he jumps again as if I'm giving him electric shocks.

He suddenly and abruptly gets up from his chair and says he needs to check something in the car. I have now entered "whatever" land. I can no longer enjoy my meal, and start thinking, OK. nice guy and all, but I just can't see what is going on between us ... I'll just cut my losses.

He returns, still with the hand in the pocket. We eat a silent dinner. I say it's time for me to get home early, work and all, and his just returning from a long trip. This surprises him. I think,This can't be good. I can't believe he is HAVING A GOOD TIME??? You're kidding, right? ...this is SOOOOOO not a good sign. All I can see is red flags. Red flags all over the place.

He tells me he wants to drive to the lakefront. I agree, thinking this is the least I can do, because I already know this is the last time I'll be seeing him. We drive there, and the first thing I see is a white horse and carriage waiting. "Awww, this is so very sweet..." I say to him, knowing it must be my birthday treat. We climb in, I move to sit closely to him, and take that dang hand out of his pocket, in one last hopeful attempt to convince myself his madness is just a case of jet lag. No dice. He jumps out of his skin. Again. All right, he's turned a bit "A Beautiful Mind" on me, that's all right ... I can deal for a few more minutes. I'll be home soon, and then I know I'll have to give him "the call" tomorrow, for I'm on bullet point #7 by now. I mentally prepare myself for the coming weekend of me by myself and Ben&Jerry's Death by Chocolate along with every single Love-Gone-Wrong video I can rent from Blockbuster. It's not like I haven't had practice with those kinds of weekends before. I know I'll be sad, but then I'll be fine.

He continues with his pocket patting fetish and I am ready to jump out of the horse cab by now, but it's going too fast. It's also getting cold outside, kinda dark, too ... and I've got my black new Mary Janes on, which are A-dorable.

I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and try to save the evening by relishing the sound of the clip clop of the horse's shoes on the quiet street.

And this is where it gets even stranger than it's been all evening. He suddenly pulls out a small, white box. Just like that. With no announcement of "I got you something." I see the small white box, Earrings!, I think. For my birthday! And I'll bet they'rethe gold leaves ones we saw together last week. Oh that would be so cool.

I smile and take the little white box and snap it open it to see what beautiful golden earrings might be inside. But there are no golden anythings inside the box, because there is, instead, a beautiful diamond ring solitaire sitting in the middle of a black velvet cushion. A ring, in a box, where a pair of birthday earrings should be. I am looking at a single, solitaire diamond ring that I never even saw coming.

All the weirdocities of the night now quickly make sense. All the perverted pocket padding this poor man did to ensure the ring hadn't fallen out, all the up and down and walking ahead so he could check to be sure the ring was still in the pocket. The poor guy probably filled his underwear at least five times that night from all the planning and the stress. Poor sweet thing.

The rest of my memory takes on a surreal cast. I remember staring at the ring in the moonlight (really ... it was a full moonlit night) and being so very surprised, and marveling at all the planning and secrecy keeping and THE CHANCE he took. What a chance, we had never discussed marriage, I could have said no, it was a risk.

I asked him later, to tell me the reason he had decided to propose in that way, with me not suspecting a thing. His answer was "if you knew it was coming, where's the romance in that? I wanted you to be so surprised, whether you said yes or no, I wanted you to be surprised."

Which I was, in more than just receiving the ring, but in him, and who he was, and how he made this plan of marriage more than just a proposal, but a memory.

And this reason is why this picture exists, showing me as a Mrs., when just hours earlier that birthday evening, I had thought that he would be returning me home, vowing to stay a Miss.

My response, through grateful tears of relief: "Oh, thank God, I thought you were crazy." Which is, kind of, a Yes.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

First off, these are my new pajamas. I don't like this picture because it looks like I don't have any teeth. I do.

OK, and here's the stuff.

First, this is called "Einsteiny Stuff.":

I do a lot of Einsteiny things. Not just me, but my brother does, too. The most Einsteiniest thing I did do was stepped in the shower with my socks on.

My big brother can't kinda remember the difference in the faces of his 2 principals. They're both oldand with white hair.

And my brother got in the shower with his underwear on.

Once my brother came down in Einsteiny clothes for church. He put on a pair of socks that went up to his knees that were black. My other brother put on dress shoes with his basketball shorts for going out.

My mom stops us when we do this and says, "Einstein OK in the house, but not when you open that door and walk out there."

Second thing: "The Arm Trick:"

Sometimes I like to pretend that there's no blood in my arms and then I swing them around and start whacking everybody and people and then I say, "I can't stop my arms cuz they don't have any blood and I can't feel what they hit." I'm the only one who has fun and laughs when I play this game. Nobody else laughs and I'm pretty sure I know why.

Next one: "Scaredish movies":

Yeah, we watched War Games and there was this part that I knew was going to be scaredish because of the music. I put the blanket I keep on my lap so that when I hear the scaredish music come on I know to cover my face.

Next one: "Commercial Ideas":

You know how the commercials have "Sham-wow!" for sale? I asked my mom if those worklike the guy said they did and if they're expensive. I think they should be called "Scam-Wow!" because stuff never works like they say it does on TV. We bought the dryer balls on TV and my mom finally just gave them to us to play with.

Last one: "Awesome Me":

I am becoming a man because I looked at my arms and I have little hairs on them. You can't hardly see them but when you pull them you feel it--ouch, I just did it--and that means they're there.

Next week I want to talk about the creepy dictionary book I have to use in school, and about how to buy stuff for your kids.

Bye.-----------------------------------------------------------------Note from Mom: Bless you all for following this little guy. I don't change a thing he says.xoxo Empress